title_23

http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=349New Pew Forum on political leanings and religion. No surprises really, but I really hate the “this kind of christian, that kind of christian, and everyone else” mentality.

41 Responses to “title_23”

  1.  what says:

    Yep. Nothing new but thanks for the update.

  2.  justme says:

    Off Topic:

    Sunday mass had just ended at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Coupon Sunday morning, when flames and smoke started pouring out of the steeple.

    Twelve fire stations worked to battle the flames at the church along Coupon Gallitzin Road in Gallitzin Township. The Ashville fire chief said they started fighting the fire on the inside, but as the ceiling and parts of the chimney collapsed they had to pull out.

    Five firefighters were injured fighting the flames. Three of them were treated on the scene, but the others were taken to the hospital.

    I have to wonder, who pays for this? Twelve firestations worked on this, 5 firefighters injured, and the church does not pay taxes.

    http://www.wjactv.com/news/17525302/d
    etail.html

  3.  justme says:

    (oh, and why did jebus not help the firemen who were trying to put out the blaze?)

  4.  Cynic says:

    What kind of depraved society would we live in where the decision that allowed fire, police, and paramedics to help came down to taxes?

  5.  ga4ry says:

    My uncle lives on top of a hill in Sonoma, he pays taxes but must also pay an additional monthly fee to the fire department or no sevice, this de to his location. A friend of mine lives in the outer banks in North Carolina, she pays taxes yet if she does not pay additional monthly amount to fire department she will receive no service either. Not long ago a woman in Watts was mugged at her doorstep, no police came when she called, they dont go there after dark, I will bet she pays taxes.

  6.  reason says:

    off topic sort of
    do we need to amend the constitution to expressly state that atheists have equal rights too.

  7.  Cynic says:

    I’m not even sure why it was found necessary to ammend it for women, my theory being that the constitution applies to “people” and “citizens” and that they’re obviously both. Maybe thy should just go back and add a line that clarifies “person” and have done with it.

  8.  phreedm says:

    Uh oh…not good news for the likes of “What do I know”…

    OT…

    How the Democrats Created the Financial Crisis

    But we now know that many of the senators who protected Fannie and Freddie, including Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Christopher Dodd, have received mind-boggling levels of financial support from them over the years.

    http://www.bloomberg. com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aSKSoiNbnQY0

  9.  tmarkville says:

    Cynic…technically it didn’t need to be amended for brown people either. Women and Africans were property back then.

  10. Tim Ren says:

    What kind of depraved society would we live in where the decision that allowed fire, police, and paramedics to help came down to taxes?

    What kind of depraved society would we live in where the decision that allowed healthcare for all citizens, came down to taxes?

  11.  Cynic says:

    I’m not arguing for depravity here…

  12.  what says:

    Why can’t Phreeky just stay in his alternate universe?

  13.  tmarkville says:

    What: Because he needs validation both as a believer and as a worthless sack of something useless that wants to be thought of as a smart person…All he does is lurk make single posts about things we’ve already discredited and never responds to challenges.

    If he were really trying to help use “see the light” he’d stick around to defend his position.

  14.  what says:

    Dave

    Shouldn’t this blog be called the NoGodsBlog. The singular NoGogBlog unintentionally gives deference to monotheists. Just a thought.

    Back to work.

  15.  Cynic says:

    I’ll second that. Awkward and limiting as it is, I’m always very careful to cast my phases in terms of gods for that reason, never capping it, and when I have to address a singular god, as “your god” or “that god”, or (my favorite) “it”.

    Granted, nogodblog just sounds better.

  16.  brad14146 says:

    The 15th and19th amendments had to be passed because there is not specfic right to vote for individuals granted in the us constitution. Rather it is left to the states to determine how their members of the electrial college will vote. This allowed the states to discriminate legally.

  17.  Cynic says:

    Ah. Well that makes sense then.

  18.  what says:

    A NY Times article today points out that Rick Davis, the campaign manager John “Keating Five” McCain, made nearly $2 million lobbying for Fannie and Feddie.

  19.  mdetrano says:

    Analyzing What’s suggestion:

    No God Blog
    No Gods Blog

    There is no cow in the pasture.
    There are no cows in the pasture.

    I don’t think No Gods Blog will work, actually. As Homer Simpson learned, it was permissible to have exactly one Homer in the “No HomerS Club”. Atheists should specify this is the No God Club, as in “no god at all”.

  20.  phreedm says:

    Comment from: What

    A NY Times article today points out that Rick Davis, the campaign manager John “Keating Five” McCain, made nearly $2 million lobbying for Fannie and Feddie.

    Yeah…and in only 3 years NObama received the 2nd highest amount of contributions from Fannie and Freddie, 2nd only to Dodd…

  21.  phreedm says:

    Hey Dave…remember this thread?

    Blame the JEWS, Ms. Palin, they did it
    OK so here’s what was published:

    But guess what –it wasn’t the dems at all — it was the Jews! Yes, we can really, truly blame the Jews on this one — in particular the Zionists.

    Well…guess what??? It was the Dems…

    The groups sponsoring the rally against Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaking at the UN were reportedly told, “it could jeopardize their tax exempt status” if they had Palin and not Clinton or Democratic VP candidate Joe Biden on hand.

    So all politicians were disinvited, most prominently, Palin.

    “It’s an absolute shame that this has happened,” Hikind said. “To threaten organizations ? to threaten the Conference of Presidents that if you don’t withdraw the invitation to Gov. Palin we’re going to look into your tax exempt status ? that’s McCarthyism.”

    http://wcbstv.com/local/clinton.palin.event.2.821565.html

  22.  pixel says:

    justme–

    Re: your off-topic topic – Today at work we were discussing hurricanes (since we live in FL). People were talking about how churches seem to get hit during the storms. Several local steeples got toppled in 2004 during our rash of hurricanes. I said (in a joking way) “Maybe those people are worshipping the wrong god!”

    That got a chuckle and we continued the discussion and I talked about how some people were saying that New Orleans got hit because of the gay population. I said that it seemed like god really hates poor people, because their neighborhoods seem to get hit the most.

    Then, one woman with a large “Jesus on a stick” necklace said that the latest hurricane was really a blessing for her mother. It blew her house down and finally convinced her to go to a senior citizen facility where her family had been trying to get her to go.

    I didn’t say anything, but I felt like saying that it might have been a “blessing” to her mother, but most folks who lost their homes or loved ones probably feel differently.

    People will try to convince themselves of god’s “goodness” no matter what happens to them.

  23.  what says:

    mdetrano

    I appreciate your analysis but I’m not convinced yet. All but one of my four texts on set theory defines the empty set as “The set containing no elementS”. One defines the empty set as “The set containing no element”.

  24.  phreedm says:

    Hey Ed…

    Since you’re so concerned about the “myth” and using tax dollars to fund churches, I know you’ll be interested in this…

    Over the past 15 years Senator Barack Obama’s church, Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, Illinois, and its pastor, Senator Obama’s “spiritual mentor” Reverend Jeremiah Wright has received $15,000,000 in grant money from the federal government.[18] Senator Obama has been a church member for 20 years.

    http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/09/obama_dollars.html

    Once again…I won’t hold my breath for the leadership at AA to announce a formal complaint about using money this way…

  25.  Obeah says:

    2TIMOTHY 2:23
    Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

  26.  DD Dropout says:

    Obeah,

    That should do the trick, shouldn’t it? Unfortunately an experienced apologist can easily work with that, for some value of “kind” and “gentle”. Nooses and two-by-fours are less unpleasant than some other means of persuasion, see what I mean?

    See trolls, it says in your bible that you shouldn’t quarrel with us here. Take your Great Commission somewhere else, where it might be appreciated.

    Now they’ve got me doing it. That’s wishful thinking isn’t it?

  27.  Obeah says:

    My dearest DD Dropout,

    Apologies for not making it clear to whom I aimed that particular passage from the Bile. I am unable to type his name but I have on occasion, posted the same verse after his nasty displays of un-christian ranting in a vain attempt to remind him that he is not at all a “True Christian”, since he fails to follow any of the instructions contained within his guide to moral authority.

    I am also much aggrieved that I have gone so unnoticed by you these many years in nogodspace.

    I ask all and sundry; am I that anonymous? Has it not been clear that I am an anti-christian? If you prick me with theist, do I not ooze bile?
    Yours,
    shocked and appalled at the very possibility that my years here have amounted to so little, Obeah

  28.  drchris06 says:

    Since everything in this thread is already off-topic, I’ll post a link to a bit of vandalism directed at the University of Alberta’s Assoc. of Atheists and Agnostics’s banner

    http://www.new.facebook.com/home.php#/photo.php?pid=34261423&id=120403328&ref=nf

    (it’s on Facebook – so you may need to be a member to see it – I think)

    cjn

  29.  tarma says:

    Obeah,

    Let me assure you that I know perfectly well that you are an atheist, and I very much enjoy reading your comments! I know that some of us who spend more time lurking than posting tend to be a little under the radar, but you contribute often enough that surely all the regulars ought to know you quite well.

  30.  what says:

    Drchris

    Thanks for the post. You can see the banner at this url also (no membership required):

    http://tinyurl.com/3g5692

    Can you imagine the hand wringing that would be going on if it were a xian or muslim group’s banner that was defaced?

  31.  tarma says:

    Some more great xian values:

    An effigy of Barack Obama was hung at George Fox University – a xian university in Oregon – with a note targeting a minority student scholarship program. Nice.

    http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080924/D93D6CUG0.html

  32.  neowolfe says:

    obeah,

    If you are a free thinker with a good knowledge of the bible,(I fear to ask) where were you when Neo’s debate thread started?

    I derive entertainment from bashing god from the pages of the bible, because most christians don’t even know what their bible says. They just sit and listen while their preacher tells them what it says. When you open their eyes to the fact that they are worshipping a sociopathic monster, they quit quoting scriptures and go away. I like that part.

    The thread is dead, come and compare notes.

    NeoWolfe

  33.  neowolfe says:

    Post 2, the Palin bounce is gone, and between the collapse of the Bush economy, the feeble attempts at presenting Palin as an international player by introducing her to international figures without questions from the media, McBush’s campaign is in a statistical nosedive, and despite McBush’s most recent attempt to excuse himself from the debates, his final execution will occur on friday.

    If there is one thing Obama can do, it’s debate. Everything McCain has said since he shed his maverik skin and became a presidential candidate, sounds like he’s reading it off his palm.

    NeoWolfe

  34.  Obeah says:

    NeoWolfe,

    If you are a free thinker with a good knowledge of the bible,(I fear to ask) where were you when Neo’s debate thread started?

    I am not quite sure what you mean by “fear to ask”, but I was lurking and feeling a strange queasiness about your manner and opinions. You seem to think that you belong to some kind of club, and your continual use of the term ‘free thinker’ triggers in me an inexplicable sense of embarrassment.

    Quoting the Bile at xians most often results in a quote-off. While it is usually futile, I sometimes find it irresistable; the Ignoramus makes me lose my restraint.

    I think you would enjoy having your own blog and/or visiting xian sites where you could express yourself ad infinitum.

  35.  666 says:

    Obeah,

    Nicely put.

    Neo,
    You wrote the following to Obeah (please note the bold emphasis is mine)

    If you are a free thinker with a good knowledge of the bible,(I fear to ask) where were you when Neo’s debate thread started?

    Yet in that very thread you wrote

    Like I said, this is not free thinker material.

    And later

    I told you, this is not for free thinkers.

    when What requested you first define ?god?.

    HUH? Self-contradictory?

    I’ll second Obeah’s last phrase

    I think you would enjoy having your own blog and/or visiting xian sites where you could express yourself ad infinitum.

    Doesn’t mean to say you’re not welcome to continue here (that’s not for me to say anyhow).

  36.  what says:

    Obeah

    Wow! Your “inexplicable sense of embarrassment” captures the essence of the creepy feeling I get as well when Neo uses the “free thinker” term.

    Neo

    For what its worth I would cut back on the effusive and grandiose nature of your posts. They smack of mania.

  37.  neowolfe says:

    Obeah, and 666,

    You may both be right. Maybe I killed the thread myself. My wish was to draw off the occasional bible thumping contributor to have a debate about the actual character of the idea of the supreme being that they worshipped. I do not know if any of them ever read what was on the thread, but, for sure, none of them had any rebuttals.

    And I did indeed say that it was not a thread for free thinkers, but, that may have been the wrong way to put it. I thought that for a free thinker who was never raised with the fundamentalist brainwash, it would probably not be something they could relate to or understand. But, the more comments I read in other threads, the more obvious it becomes that many of the contributors here are a lot like me, at least having a basic knowledge of the monster, “Jehovah of Armies”. That gives them a leg up on the average christian who has no idea what his bible says.

    But 666 made this statement, which was untrue:

    when What requested you first define ?god?.

    HUH? Self-contradictory?

    I did do that, and told him my intent was to confront belief in the christian idea of the creator of the universe.

    But, whatever, I thought, as did the website administrator, using the term “and other bloggers” to have some fun trashing Jehovah with the pages of his own “holy” word. Exchanging ideas on which was his most sociopathic act. Even if the right wingers don’t show up to defend their indefensible god, we can have fun sharing notes.

    And I’m so glad that 666 still welcomes me here, if I got kicked off before Phreedumb, I would have to commit suicide. I’ve already done it eight times, and we all know that wolves only have nine lives.

    NeoWolfe

  38.  Obeah says:

    I hasten to add that my comment regarding another blog was in no way suggesting that you vacate this one. It was a genuine observation.

    And, your wish to draw away theists was an admirable one. It’s failure to do so seems to suggest that said theists are not interested in debate.
    They didn’t take de bate. bur-um-bum, tishsh.

  39.  666 says:

    Neo,
    You wrote:

    But 666 made this statement, which was untrue:

    when What requested you first define ?god?.

    HUH? Self-contradictory?

    grasping at straws or failure to comprehend?

    I was pointing out that you addressed Obeah in the following manner: (Once again your words)

    If you are a free thinker with a good knowledge of the bible,(I fear to ask) where were you when Neo’s debate thread started?

    Yet during that thread you repeatedly stated that your thread was NOT for freethinkers. (Somehow, I think others reading here got the point.) In other words, you were being self-contradictory.

    BTW,

    when What requested you first define ?god?.

    HUH? Self-contradictory?

    is not a statement all by itself.

    Anyway, please point out the “untruth” in the non-statement, because, in fact, What did request that you first define god, and you did indeed respond to What with the following

    I told you, this is not for free thinkers.Hence the comment in regards to self-contradiction. Do you get it yet?

    More BTW for you: I was first introduced to god/religion at the age of 5. My response was that it was all make-believe. That hasn’t changed.
    However, I was raised around bible banger bullshit including years of missionary school (plenty (make that tons) of grade influenced bible study, daily morning devotions (in which I refused to participate – to personal detriment. Including, but not limited to, physical beating, ostracism (there was an actual call to “shun” me), and poor grades), Wednesday chapel and more), living with a preacher (and his family) for the Church of christ in the redneck panhandle of Tx, and more.
    I do feel qualified to state that I know the book of hate known to xtians as the bi(b)le as well – even better than they do.
    So I consider myself to be a “freethinker” and had some things to bring up in that thread. However, your dismissal of What’s request, and your statements that you didn’t want “freethinkers” participating sort of gave the impression that you wanted to take on that task on your own without any pesky freethinkers cluttering up the place.

    Phreeloader won’t get kicked off this blog. Dave wants it here (increases blog traffic), doesn’t mean you have to interact with it.

    ‘Nuff said?

    AS far as this

    And I’m so glad that 666 still welcomes me here

    goes, it’s not clear whether or not that’s meant to be sarcasm.

  40.  666 says:

    crap! need to amend!
    fixit:

    I told you, this is not for free thinkers.

    Hence the comment in regards to self-contradiction. Do you get it yet?

    More BTW for you: I was first introduced to god/religion at the age of 5. My response was that it was all make-believe. That hasn’t changed.
    However, I was raised around bible banger bullshit including years of missionary school (plenty (make that tons) of grade influenced bible study, daily morning devotions (in which I refused to participate – to personal detriment. Including, but not limited to, physical beating, ostracism (there was an actual call to “shun” me), and poor grades), Wednesday chapel and more), living with a preacher (and his family) for the Church of christ in the redneck panhandle of Tx, and more.
    I do feel qualified to state that I know the book of hate known to xtians as the bi(b)le as well – even better than they do.
    So I consider myself to be a “freethinker” and had some things to bring up in that thread. However, your dismissal of What’s request, and your statements that you didn’t want “freethinkers” participating sort of gave the impression that you wanted to take on that task on your own without any pesky freethinkers cluttering up the place.

    Phreeloader won’t get kicked off this blog. Dave wants it here (increases blog traffic), doesn’t mean you have to interact with it.

    ‘Nuff said?

    AS far as this

    And I’m so glad that 666 still welcomes me here

    goes, it’s not clear whether or not that’s meant to be sarcasm.

  41.  neowolfe says:

    666,
    I don’t know if you actually read posts before you go spouting off, but read this from my post:

    “You may both be right. Maybe I killed the thread myself. My wish was to draw off the occasional bible thumping contributor to have a debate about the actual character of the idea of the supreme being that they worshipped. I do not know if any of them ever read what was on the thread, but, for sure, none of them had any rebuttals.”

    I believe that I went on to acknowledge my underestimate of how many contributors truly did have a good understanding of the bible. I asked the question and got the answer. But before I got the answer I already admitted that I was the one who killed the thread. What more do you want from me? It was a fun idea and I fucked it up. okay?

    NeoWolfe